Why Is the Knowledge of God of Supreme Importance?
Key Concept: Thought about God is the first and most important thought that opens heaven to a person (Apocalypse Explained 1096).
The first and foremost thought that opens heaven to man is thought about God, and for the reason that God is the all of heaven, even to the extent that whether we say heaven or God it is the same thing. The things Divine that make the angels of whom heaven consists to be angels are when taken together God; and this is why thought about God is the first and foremost of all the thoughts that open heaven to man, for it is the head and sum of all truths and loves celestial and spiritual. But there is thought from light, and there is thought from love; thought from light alone is knowledge that there is a God, which appears like acknowledgment but is not. [3] By thought from light man has presence in heaven, but not conjunction with heaven, for the light of thought alone does not conjoin, but presents man as present to the Lord and the angels.... [4] As thought about God is what primarily opens heaven, so thought against God is what primarily closes heaven (Apocalypse Explained 1096:2-4e).
The knowledge of the Lord is the universal of all things of doctrine and thence of all things of the church; from it all worship derives its life and soul, for the Lord is everything in all the things of heaven and the church, and consequently in all the things of worship (Apocalypse Revealed 916).
With him who from the heart fears and honors God, this fear and honor are present in everything that he thinks, and speaks, and does, because it is in him even when it does not seem to be present, as when he is engaged in business that seems to be far from it; for it reigns universally; thus in every detail. That which reigns in man is plainly perceived in the other life, for the sphere of his whole life which exhales from him is thence derived (Arcana Coelestia 5949:3).
No one has the Lord present with himself unless he knows His quality. This quality the truths of the Word make manifest; for, as many truths as there are in the Word, there are just so many mirrors and ideas of the Lord; for He is the Word itself and He is the Truth itself, as He Himself says (Invitation To The New Church 41).
From the Divine influx into the souls of men…it follows that there is an internal dictate with every man that there is a God, and that He is One (True Christian Religion 9).
Knowledge of the Lord surpasses in excellence all other knowledges in the church, and even in heaven…(True Christian Religion 81).
How important it is to have a right idea of God can be established from this, that the idea of God constitutes the inmost of thought with those who have a religion... Every nation in the spiritual world is allotted a place in accordance with its idea of God as a Man, for in this idea, and in no other, is the idea of the Lord....
Why Is the Knowledge of God of Supreme Importance?
Key Concept: Thought about God is the first and most important thought that opens heaven to a person (Apocalypse Explained 1096).
The first and foremost thought that opens heaven to man is thought about God, and for the reason that God is the all of heaven, even to the extent that whether we say heaven or God it is the same thing. The things Divine that make the angels of whom heaven consists to be angels are when taken together God; and this is why thought about God is the first and foremost of all the thoughts that open heaven to man, for it is the head and sum of all truths and loves celestial and spiritual. But there is thought from light, and there is thought from love; thought from light alone is knowledge that there is a God, which appears like acknowledgment but is not. [3] By thought from light man has presence in heaven, but not conjunction with heaven, for the light of thought alone does not conjoin, but presents man as present to the Lord and the angels.... [4] As thought about God is what primarily opens heaven, so thought against God is what primarily closes heaven (Apocalypse Explained 1096:2-4e).
The knowledge of the Lord is the universal of all things of doctrine and thence of all things of the church; from it all worship derives its life and soul, for the Lord is everything in all the things of heaven and the church, and consequently in all the things of worship (Apocalypse Revealed 916).
With him who from the heart fears and honors God, this fear and honor are present in everything that he thinks, and speaks, and does, because it is in him even when it does not seem to be present, as when he is engaged in business that seems to be far from it; for it reigns universally; thus in every detail. That which reigns in man is plainly perceived in the other life, for the sphere of his whole life which exhales from him is thence derived (Arcana Coelestia 5949:3).
No one has the Lord present with himself unless he knows His quality. This quality the truths of the Word make manifest; for, as many truths as there are in the Word, there are just so many mirrors and ideas of the Lord; for He is the Word itself and He is the Truth itself, as He Himself says (Invitation To The New Church 41).
From the Divine influx into the souls of men…it follows that there is an internal dictate with every man that there is a God, and that He is One (True Christian Religion 9).
Knowledge of the Lord surpasses in excellence all other knowledges in the church, and even in heaven…(True Christian Religion 81).How important it is to have a right idea of God can be established from this, that the idea of God constitutes the inmost of thought with those who have a religion... Every nation in the spiritual world is allotted a place in accordance with its idea of God as a Man, for in this idea, and in no other, is the idea of the Lord....
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